Your first lens

**Tadge Dryja** · 27-Nov-2005, 23:16

First lens for 4x5:

Got a 150/9 g-claron in a copal #0 shutter for $150. Good deal.
I've since bought a bunch of other lenses, including a 150/5.6 Fujinon, but still use the g-claron since it's so small that it folds up into my field camera.

I know that in LF, there are hardly any 'bad' lenses, but it's still reassuring to see the purplish glow of a multicoated lens, or hear the nice bzzz-click of a modern shutter. So I've kindof sworn off buying the old, single/un-coated lenses, despite their merits. More for you guys, eh?

**Jorge Gasteazoro** · 27-Nov-2005, 23:30

4x5 a Nikon 210 w

8x10 Sironar N 300

**James Bleifus** · 27-Nov-2005, 23:37

8X10 I bought a 210 G-Claron from Jim Galli. Wow, what a great lens. I followed up with a 305 G-Claron. Who knows what's next.

Cheers, James

**Eric Leppanen** · 27-Nov-2005, 23:38

First LF lens and camera: SS110XL on a Toho FC Mini ultra-light monorail (no movements). I was looking for a 4x5 version of my Mamiya 7, and this combination seemed to be the perfect counterpart to the M7's 65mm lens. The Toho is still the only LF camera that could fit (along with several lenses, no less!) in a Lowepro Photo Runner fanny pack, and was super for hiking (now if they could only make an 8x10 that compact....). Alas, no movements proved too limiting, so the Toho was eventually sold and I joined the conventional LF camera world.....

**darr** · 27-Nov-2005, 23:57

4x5", Schneider Symmar 5.6/210mm (Good, used in photo school)
5x7", Docter Apo-Germinar 9.0/240mm (Excellent, still using today)

**Colin Carron** · 28-Nov-2005, 00:17

Schneider Angulon 90mm f/6.8 on to 4x5. A nice, cheap, lightweight wide angle with more available movement than the Schneider website would imply, though shading off into a blur towards the edge of the illuminated circle. My first one disintegrated after a few years but I replaced it and still have one. Great for 6x9 rfh's. The Super Angulon is sharper with a bigger image circle.

**Ole Tjugen** · 28-Nov-2005, 00:37

210mm f:4.5 Xenar, on a 5x7" Technika with 4x5" reduction back. Then I got another Technika 5x7" - with 5x7" back and a 300mm f:4.5 Xenar (big huge thing in a # Compound).

And then a "real" 4x5" camera, a Linhof Color that came with a 135mm f:3.5 Zeiss Planar, a 150mm f:5.6 Symmar, a 210mm f:4.5 APO-Lanthar and a 360mm f:5.5 Tele-Xenar.

So I quickly got used to having all the lenses I could possibly need, and all the "old classics" most photographers have only heard about. I've continued from there...

**Alan Davenport** · 28-Nov-2005, 00:43

I shoot 4x5.

First lens: Caltar II-N 150mm f/5.6. Good lens, room for movements.

Second lens: Elgeet 254mm f/4.5. Covers 8x10 (at least.) I don't think it's as sharp as the Caltar, but haven't done any testing. I don't think they made many of these.

Third lens: Super Angulon 90mm f/8. What can I say? Still a classic.

Fourth lens: Don't have this one yet, but the next in my series would be a 400mm telephoto.

**jnantz** · 28-Nov-2005, 05:26

hi john

my first lf lens was a 127 tominon mounted in a polaroid press shutter.
it was on my speed graphic when i bought it from ep levines.

**Ben Calwell** · 28-Nov-2005, 06:08

My first lens came with a 4x5 kit I purchased new in 1982 from Calumet. It was, I think, a re-badged Rodenstock 210mm tessar-type. Very nice lens. As an aside, the kit came with a Calumet 400 series view camera (the one with 22-inches of bellows draw), case, dark cloth (which I'm still using) and a nice loupe (which I'm also still using).